ABOUT ME
Verónica Sarría Hidalgo
I am Verónica, a clinical psychologist, passionate reader, and art lover in all its forms. I approach mental health from an integrative perspective, where science and sensibility coexist and mutually enrich each other.
I studied Psychology at the Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas and later completed a Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. Subsequently, I validated my training in Spain, where I completed a Master’s in Eating Disorders and another in General Health Psychology.
Throughout my career, I have worked in institutions such as the Hospital Infantil Niño Jesús, the Hospital Universitario Santa Cristina, and the Instituto de Trastornos Alimenticios (ITA).
For several years, I was part of Sinews Multilingual Therapy Institute, a clinic serving international residents in Madrid, where I supported adolescents and adults in Spanish, English, and French. I also had the opportunity to collaborate as a psychologist for the university programs of Stanford University and Syracuse University in Madrid.
Parallel to my clinical work, I have always been interested in the humanities and art, which led me to study art history at the École du Louvre and take film and philosophy courses at the Institut Catholique de Paris. I find refuge and a mirror in culture, and I believe it enriches both my professional practice and my personal life.
Two Complementary Ways of Knowing
I integrate psychology and culture as paths for personal support, exploration, and transformation. They are two distinct ways to open an inward door. I believe that both forms of knowledge—the sensitive, through art, and the scientific, through psychology—complement each other. Culture illuminates internal experiences that are difficult to put into words through stories, characters, images, and symbols. Psychology provides understanding, structure, and a scientific basis that helps to comprehend these internal processes and transform them consciously.
While art connects with the sensitive and unconscious, psychology offers a framework to make sense of, integrate, and support what we discover about ourselves.
Four Principles Guiding Each Session
Clinical Rigor and Scientific Evidence
Therapy can transform a life when it combines rigor, humanity, and scientific evidence.
My approach integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy, attachment theory, and mindfulness, along with clinical experience in leading institutions.
I understand therapy as a process with direction and purpose: to understand what is happening, identify patterns, and work together to generate real and lasting changes.
Understand to Modify
Psychological suffering is often accompanied by guilt or the feeling of doing something wrong. A significant part of the work involves understanding why one reacts the way they do, where certain patterns come from, and what function they have served.
When something stops seeming like a personal flaw and begins to make sense, it can be modified.
Art and Literature as Tools
Sometimes a novel gives words to what had been nameless for years. Sometimes a film shows from the outside an internal dynamic that was invisible. Sometimes a poem or a painting makes evident what conversation circles around.
Bibliotherapy, therapeutic writing, and cultural references appear when they contribute, not as mere embellishment. This idea also permeates the book Cultural Therapy.
Closeness Without Losing Technique
Starting therapy involves exposing oneself, talking about intimate matters, and placing trust. The therapeutic bond is part of the work, not an add-on.
A caring, non-judgmental consultation, where clinical listening and honest conversation are not separate things. Professional, yet also human.
Academic Training, Clinical Experience, and Publications
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
- Master’s in Clinical Psychology · Columbia University, New York
- Master’s in Eating Disorders and Obesity · Universidad Europea, Madrid
- Master’s in General Health Psychology · Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology · Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas
- Training in cognitive-behavioral therapy, attachment theory, systemic therapy, and mindfulness
- Annual Course in Art History · École du Louvre, Paris
- Annual Course in Film and Philosophy · Institut Catholique de Paris
- Therapeutic Writing Course · Patricia J. Fagúndez
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Psychologist · Sinews Multilingual Therapy Institute, Madrid
- Intern Psychologist · Hospital Universitario Santa Cristina, Madrid
- Intern Psychologist · Hospital Infantil Niño Jesús, Madrid
- Intern Psychologist · Instituto de Trastornos Alimenticios (ITA)
- Collaborating Psychologist · Stanford University in Madrid
- Collaborating Psychologist · Syracuse University in Madrid
PUBLICATIONS
- Cultural Therapy (2026) · Get to know yourself through cinema, art, and literature · Editorial Ciudadela